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Lockheed / Vought S-3 Viking

1974 COLD WAR

History

The S-3 Viking family of aircraft carriers is a joint production of Lockheed and Vought Aircraft. Selected from no less than five proposals from several other companies, including the two mentioned above, the S-3 was designed to meet the US Navy's requirements for a submarine aircraft platform built around the then-powerful Univac digital computer. The system is a direct result of the ever-elusive new generation of Soviet submarines constantly testing within and around the United States.

The Viking became the Navy's most advanced, fully computer-controlled aircraft of its time.

By 1972, the YS-3A had developed into eight service-grade models. Water's contribution to the entire aircraft was the production of wing elements, tail assemblies, engine nacelles and landing gear systems. The resulting aircraft is an easily recognizable high-shouldered wing design with two large GE turbofans suspended below. There are four crew quarters, including a pilot, co-pilot, sensor systems operator and tactical coordinator. A large rudder is mounted on top of the tail assembly.

An internal gun bay provides space for up to four torpedoes, bombs and mines.

The upgrade of the S-3A base system culminated in the standardized S-3B, with updated acoustic processing, updated Sonorbouy system, improved radar, and the installation of a powerful AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile for aiming and firing The capacity system is on two new external hardpoints to complement internal storage. Almost all existing "A" models have now been upgraded to "B" standard.

Model B was in use until 1984.

The S-3 system was relegated to "buddy" tank service due to reduced demand for this specialized anti-submarine system on the new modern battlefield. As a result, fewer and fewer S-3 systems are being retained on carrier groups today, although the system itself is scheduled to be deployed by 2015.

An electronic warfare conversion model also exists as the ES-3A "Shadow" Elint.

Specification

Basic

Year:

1974

Status:

Retired, out of service

Staff:

Production

[280 units]:

Lockheed / Water - USA

Roles

- Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)

- Anti-ship

- Naval/Navigation

- Air refueling

- Reconnaissance (RECCE)

Dimensions

Length:

53.35 ft (16.26 m)

Width:

20.93m

Height:

6.93m

Weight

Curb Weight:

12,088 kg

MTOW:

52,541 lb (23,832 kg)

(difference: +25,891 pt)

Performance

2 General Electric TF-34-GE-2 turbofan engines, each producing 9,275 pounds of thrust.

Performance

Maximum Speed:

506 mph (814 km/h; 440 knots)

Service Limit:

35,007 ft (10,670 m; 6.63 mi)

Maximum range:

2,302 miles (3,705 km; 2,001 nautical miles)

Rate of climb:

4,200 ft/min (1,280 m/min)

Armor

Internal weapons bay cleared for transport of 4 x Torpedoes or 4 x Mk 36 Destructors or 4 x Mk 82 Throwing Bombs or 4 x Mk 53 Naval Mines

Underwing mount points for 2 x torpedoes or 2 x AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles or 2 x AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missiles or 2 x rocket pods (S-3B only).

Changes

YS-3A - Service Evaluation Models, eight of which have been created.

S-3A - First production version, 187 built.

S-3B - Improved S-3A variant designated as "standard" until 1984; capable of deploying and firing the AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile; most existing S-3A variants converted to the B class.

US-3A - The USN model operates as a Carrier Delivery (COD) without anti-submarine equipment; four are used this way.